HANG TIME NEW JERSEY BUREAU —Chris Paul is still a member of the New Orleans Hornets. And at this point, you have to start thinking about the possibility of Paul being in uniform when the Hornets play their first preseason game in Memphis on Friday night.

On Monday afternoon, multiple outlets reported that the Los Angeles Clippers were pulling out of the latest negotiations with the Hornets (and/or the NBA league office).

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the league-owned New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers could not complete their proposed Paul trade because the Clippers ultimately decided the NBA’s asking price for the All-Star guard was too high.

…

At the NBA’s direction, sources said, New Orleans was insisting upon the inclusion of both shooting guard Eric Gordon and Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 first-round draft choice in addition to former All-Star center Chris Kaman and prospects Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe.

The Clippers found the demands “too steep,” according to one source close to the process, even after Paul told the Clippers he would invoke the 2012-13 option in his contract as part of the trade, ensuring that L.A. would have him next to Blake Griffin for at least two seasons

Paul is a special player, but that’s a lot of assets to give up if you’re not sure he’ll be staying beyond next season. Now, we must wonder what it’s going to take for the Hornets/NBA to part with Paul and if a trade is even possible at all with the league owning the team.

Meanwhile, the only players that the Hornets have signed are training camp fodder. Their roster is basically Paul, Trevor Ariza, Jarrett Jack, Emeka Okafor, Quincy Pondexter, and nine guys you’ve never heard of. And Monty Williams has to get them ready to play a game in four days.

126 Comments

can we ask for David Sterns resignation already. For the past few months he seems determined to derail the league and it’s players. From all-or-nothing negotiating tactics in the collective bargaining process to derailing trades between when it’s actually a good trade.

The NBA isn`t serious !! Eic Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, Aminu, Chris Kaman and a first round Pick ??
It´s too much. Altough it´s Chris paul. They should give them Gordon, the pick, kaman and aminu but
not bledsoe. He is young and really great.

NBA Commissioner David Stern recently vetoed a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets that would have sent all-star point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom moving from the Lakers to one of the other teams. The veto was partly in response to complaints by Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, who stated that the trade was lopsided in favor of the Lakers.

I believe Mr. Stern overstepped the bounds of the Commissioner’s responsibility when he disallowed the trade. The Commissioner’s office should have a focus on maintaining the integrity of the league and the well being of the teams and players and should not be disrupting the free market forces in league trading.

If trades are to be scrutinized by the Commissioner, on what basis will they be approved – his gut feel about whether the trade is good for the teams involved? It sounds offensive to the NBA team owners, as if a grade school principal is on the playground helping to pick sides because his students don’t know any better.

What makes the situation even more complicated is that the Hornets are owned by the NBA. So the Commissioner was acting with more than a neutral point of view. The NBA’s governing body should not own teams and it should not meddle in the affairs of the owners.

I sort of wish the Clips had taken the trade just to see the look on Stern’s face when everything he had done to stop the trade still wasn’t enough. See whst kind of bulls#*t reason he comes up with for stopping the trade after that.

You all are crazy, Stern is only a mediator for the rest of the owners WHO OWN THE HORNETS, he;s not caving, he has no interest in this whatsoever, the owners do. Why ask for him to resign when he is only doing his job? Am I the only one who feels bad for crap said about Stern? Use your brain before posting this crap, Honestly If you owned a team you were seling why in god’s name would you want to A)Trade your franchise player, the cornerstone of your team, for a bunch of roleplayers, who, while good, have nothing to offer potential buyers? B) trade paul for anything less than everything you can get from another team? The Lakers trade being blocked was a no brainer, role players for star players? whilst also completely polarising your own conference is completely stupid, sure the Lakers may not work, but if they do, welcome the cakewalk of the 80’s for the lakers of today, the clippers move was disappointing though, but in all honesty, while the team would be a better fit than the Lakers, CP is a fickle one and he won’t want to play for the clips .

Honesly, I think Chris Paul is overrated, compared to the likes of other point guards like D will, Nash, Rose, and Rondo, he isn’t strong enough or fast enough, but he is marketable. The onlnt reason why there is such a commotion around ATM is the fact that there aren’t many allstar calibre FA’s at the moment how haven’t extended or resigned. I think the NBA are making a wise move by keeping him, he’ll entice potential buyers, look at it like buying a car, You would rather a reliable car that you can modify on your own, rather than a car that has had all it’s parts replaced with sub par parts. by this I mean a potential buyer would prefer to deal with the CP situation on their own, rather than be stuck with players that could be either untradable or useless.

Lakers offered pau gasol plus lamar odom for chris paul.
lamar odom can play almost any position on the court pg pf even center like magic johnson.
then pau gasol hes got talents of a tim duncan.
yet stern didnt want to accept the trade bc it was the Lakers and hes an obvious hater.
Stern is trying to control and manipulate everything in the NBA.
now refs call technical foul just for throwing your hands up.
its rediculous stern needs to be fired and that Tech. foul rule trashed.
Chris Paul will come sign with LA next year and Stern you will get nothing!
just like willy wonka said!you lose good day sir!

I love CP3 but let’s be honest. Eric Gordon is solid. Eric Bledsoe has super potential, and Aminu finally started to get his jitters out by the end of the year. I think the clippers should get rid of Mo Williams over Eric Bledsoe, even though the point of the hornets was to get a younger team, but Eric Bledsoe would be an incredible back up and protege to CP3. Mo Williams will be a jealous step child. But CP3 is injury prone and must be seen as a fair deal, with the Minnesota pick, Kaman, Aminu and Mo Williams. Then the Clippers would be a Playoff contender making CP3 happy, and NO would get everything they deserve for CP3. Or else he walks next year for nothing.
Go Clippers! Go CP3, forget the NBA, the fans already hate them.

Christ Paul should’ve been in the Lakers roster already if Stern didn’t kill that deal. I have a feeling that if Kobe, Cp3 and D/Howard are pairing they’ll be unstoppable. I liked Lamar Odom, I just don’t know why he wanted to go some where else. I’d like to tell the Lakers’ management that if they want to make their team a batter team they need to acquire Christ Paul, or someone who can score from different angles. For example: like Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics and Steve Nash of the PHX Sun.

As we can see LA has recently signed Jason Kapono. He’s one good player, but they will surely need at least one to stay in the game at all time. They also need a stronger center and D/Howard is a perfect fit! Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol need to go because Bynum always get injured, and Gasol is too weak when he’s being covered by more than one person. He is also easily frustrated.

I propose a POLL “If traded, where do you think Dwight Howard will end up? Lakers or Nets” on front page of NBA.com to be replaced with a new POLL “When do you think the NBA Commissioner Stern should be replaced? Immediately or at the and of the 2011-2012 Season.” Warden Stern must go!!! Seek and tired of Stern’s never ending BS.

The Hornets “owners” are asking too much for Chris Paul. Eric Gordon, expiring contract of Chris Kaman, the young forward/center Aminu from Baylor, and a 1st round draft pick yet the Hornets wanted Eric Bledsoe and another 1st round draft pick? is David Stern trying to cripple the Hornets or cripple any team he’s traded too? The whole “NBA Reasons” why he vetoed the Paul to Lakers had some merit, not enough to prevent, but had merit with the complaints. But who would seriously complain about the Clippers acquiring Paul? Not even Dan Gilbert’s strongly worded hate mail could have made a valid point as to why Paul shouldn’t go to the Clippers with what they were getting in return. The organization has been crippled over the past couple seasons with trading Darren Collinson for nothing AND trading a 1st round pick to Portland for Jarryd Bayless which they shipped off to Toronto soon after for nothing. thank god david stern doesn’t have the power to stop paul from signing where he wants in FA.

Hornets fans, look what “our” commissioner has done. Your team is now in even more jeopardy. Next season, Paul will leave, and you get nothing in return. Don’t blame the Lakers, Rockets, and the Clippers. BLAME DAVID “GRINCH” STERN.

are you kidding me???? give up rondo?? rondo could get to where CP3 is right now and plus CP3 is always injury prone so we cant even trust him. I say that Boston try to go after Howard since we really are desperate for a center. they are wasting their time offering for paul.

my conclusion for this issue about Cp3 trade is that Stern abusing Chris Paul impact and that leads to nothing but getting worst day by day..as you can see on this trade “OBVIOUSLY” that they demand a high for CP3 but this is not the True sight of this trade..but rather they just dont want to leave Chris Paul to the hornets that i know for sure Chris is not happy and will never happy in NOH,,, D.Stern Ruins the NOH and not only that but also CP3 Damn!!

Mark Q is a cry baby Oh WHINE WHINE WHINE is what he did in the first option to trade Chris PauL. Those who cry the most to the NBA gets their way. Oh but now when the the recent trade was blocked to my team by the NBA I guess the WHINNING of Mark Q can still be heard. Oh Wait NOW HE GETS Odon FOR A STEALl!!!!!!! THis waas not great negotiating by DAllas It is earmarked a SHAM DEAL by the manipulating NBA WHAT A SHAM BY THE NBA AND BY A WHINNING MARK Q. Maintaing a balance in the NBA is that what they really thought they were doing. HURTING a small team market team like the Hornets and now my Team in the last deal is bull. I think Stern and the NBA is wanting to go BIG MARKET and thats it. How does Dallas getting Odom for a second round piick—- it makes sense. Oh if you are from the lucky world champions for 1 year Dallas I can see the sham of a trade because you were not going to repeat with the team you had and THE NBA is SHOWING WHAT THEY ARE REALLY ABOUT. MANIPULATING.

What’s happening to the NBA? First the lockout…then the NBA losing games….then the CP3 situation…All this mumbo-jumbo is creating a negative impact to the fans of the NBA (no…basketball fans). The NBA thrives on the support of the fans…and that includes the players. The NBA should create excitement for the fans and not give false hope and disappointment. I guess the NBA is pure business…not entertainment.

Well, isn’t this interesting. The trade to the Lakers is off, the trade to the Clippers is off. David Stern and the other NBA owners have decided that for “basketball reasons” it is better for the Hornets to lose David West and, after the upcoming season, CP3 to free agency with NO compensation for NOLA. Thanks Mrs. Stern and Gilbert..

I been a Hornet fan since the Charlotte days with Rex, Mugsy, Zo, Dell Curry, the late Bobby Phills, Larry Johnson, Baron Davis, JR Reid, Anthony Mason, Kendall Gill, the list goes on and on and on. Tat on my left arm a true fan. I don’t understand David Stern point. Do you understand basketball or understand what’s the procedure. If you don’t trade Chirs Paul…you will LOSE VALUE!!!!!!!!!!! I’m a huge Chris Paul fan. I was happy we pick him up and draft him. But he’s not staying with the team. David West is not a Pacer.That’s was our second leading person with points.

What do you think will happened if you don’t get no one for Chris Paul. Bad enough attendance is not great with the support. Thery did better when they were playing in Oklahoma City. You will lose fan base with the team and I hope they don’t fold the team. Or mess up and have them move to another city. I wish I had billion dollars because I would buy the team and make this team a winning team. I hope David Stren reads this…don’t quit your day job. And leave the trade deals alone. Let the trade go through. What do you have to lose. Bad enough your rep now in the league is not pretty. You will be booed in all arena, all star games, the nba draft, and probaly in the nba store too….your a sad person..

Stern is already a rich man because of making smart moves. Either of these LA trades would have been smart moves, especially for the clippers. Why trade for something your not satisfied with? If you don’t get the deal you want then don’t do it Stern. For those who don’t want to watch NBA anymore BYE! It should be obvious by now Stern is not concerned with everyone’s RIGHT NOW emotions and feelings.

Let’s see what Stern considers to be a better trade than the two he just rejected. The pressure is on and building by the day because letting CP3 walk for nothing is not an option. And Mr. Paul won’t commit to just any team for the money. So, it’s not like Stern is in complete control here, even though he seems to be acting like it.

I dont blame the Hornets for any of this. They created what in my opinion was the best trade they could’ve. They wouldve gotten a 20/10 Odom, a 23-25 ppg Martin, those 2 alone wouldve made the trade worth it. This is NOT the Hornets fault, they were one of the teams trying to get Stern to reverse his decision. This is Stern’s fault, and him alone. Stern was ignorant enough to let his owner’s influence his decision (you can go ahead and try telling me that’s wrong with a straight face, try it, I guarantee you cant). And for the record, I love that Kobe Mocked Mark Cuban (my favorite owner) by saying “i doubt he’ll oppose this trade”. Mark Cuban was out of line. Voicing your opinion is totally fine, that’s one reason we live in this country, but to then turn around and trade for Odom and have to give nothing back, it is so hypocritical it blows my mind. Cuban now looks like the spawn of David Stern basically. And Dan Gilbert still looks like the 7 year old sitting in the fetal position in the corner crying because he was picked last. Um hey Dan, maybe Lebron left Cleveland partly because he didnt want to work for a millionaire who has the emotional tolerance of a 2nd grade girl.

David Stern is going from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. The Lakers trade was perfect, in my opinion the Hornets with that trade wouldve been better than the Lakers (the lakers wouldnt even have a power forward), yet they say it wasnt a good trade. Now they want the Clipps to give up half their team and draft picks to get him? Paul is good but hell, he aint no Michael Jordan. The league is trying to destroy the most storied franchise in their sport (take out the Celtics of the 60’s and you basically have the Bulls franchise which is why I count the Lakers ahead of the Celtics). Myself, along with many other Laker fans around my neighborhood as well as my office, plan on NOT watching NBA games until something is done about this. This has nothing to do with being on the fanboat, this is about the lockout and now this whole trade fiasco. The lockout essentially said “screw you” to the fans, now the league declines a trade which ultimately resulted in the Lakers losing my second favorite player to the very team that crushed us last year, for absolutely nothing in return. I dont know Stern’s logic and I dont care to. He’s an old grumpy bastard who has seen his reputation tarnished so now he is doing whatever damage he still can before people start petitioning to have him removed from office.

Seriously, how can anyone be stunned. Stern put all this in motion. Should I point out that this is the highest ratings that this website has ever received. The fans are hooked on this stuff like a bad soap opera. Since the NBA lost so much $ on adverstising with the lockout they are trying to build up their cash reserves with Web Sponsership and the more you people buy into this crap and carry on the more $ you are making for their marketing and advertisements.

If you guys recall when Shaq demanded a trade from LA, the Lakers got Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and I believe some cash. Chris Paul will never be able to have the impact Shaq had and I’m not a Shaq fan. Miami refused to give up Wade and was able to win their 1st Championship the following season. The Hornets have no roster to speak of and Stern believes he is giving the season ticket holders something to cheer about. lol It’s only Stern’s ego that is preventing him from making an intelligent decision. He will regret his decision in the very near future when CP3 bounces…
50% of something is much better than 100% of nothing!
Mr. Stern, I think it is time to submit your resignation and allow the league to rebuild without your failed leadership!

I am sick and tired of David Stern. What is he trying to prove? Saying the Clippers proposed trade wasn’t good enough. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? They gave up pretty much everything they had except the kitchen sink! And yet Stern wanted them to throw in Eric Bledsoe. I’m sorry, but when your already going to be getting 3 efficient and effective players (Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu) AND not to mention the Wolves ’12 1st round pick who could end up being Barnes, Davis, Jones, Sullinger, Lamb, Rivers, etc. is just unfathomable to me! In my opinion, the Clippers were getting the crappier deal on this one. Mr. Stern you my friend, are an idiot!!!

Chris Paul for 4 good players and a high draft pick??? This guy will only play have a season. The NBA should be very happy to get just Eric Gordon… I hope they will realize this, because this is really ridiculous, giving up so much for a player who’s worth less than half a year. If I was Chris and read those stories, i would stay put in New Orleans, dont sign anything and go for free to another team at the end of the season… just to teach the nba a lesson!

David Stern has no idea how trades work, its a two way street,its not all about you attempting to get unrealistic deals done. He is so amatuer that I recon he began asking for Griffen, gordan, bledsoe, 1st round draft pick for paul. Stern this is a good deal. 1st round draft pick is probz going to be a top 5. No team is going to give up more than this for a player that is not guranteed to be there longer than 2 seasons.

Just would like to add a side note. Football in Australia is adding free agency to their league in 2012. Its pretty much the same as the NBA’s free agency system with restricted free agency after 8 years and unrestricted free agency after 10 years (All rookies are 18 years oldmwhen they begin). But if a free agent leaves there team, then the league compensates that team with adequate draft picks according to that players ability, age. The NBA should try and incorporate a compensation system like this so teams dont feel so fearful when one of their players is becoming a free agent.

The oweners and Stern need to face facts that no matter what happens Paul isn’t in a hornets uniform beyond next year anyway. I get that the league temporarily owns the hornets, and is looking for someone to take that ownership and that Paul is the big selling point for perspective owners but just part ways amicably, let the hornets get something fair in the trade without demanding too much, like what was offered in the lakers trade, and have everyone go on their merry way because this situation is not beneficial for the hornerts organisation in the short or long term. Does anyone really think that big name players aren’t going to be able to dictate or highly influence where they play? For the most part stars are going to seek out big market teams if they get the chance, especially after several seasons in the league (making millions upon millions in the process) players want to go to the teams who can offer them realistic contention for a championship by being able to afford a group of players who have the opportunity to do so.

Is David Stern serious? He can’t get kaman, bledsoe, gordor, aminu AND the pick… that isn’t possible!
the hornets could easily rebuild with that core! the expiring contract of chris kaman will free cap space for next year… c’mon hornets! get the deal done!

NBA players making the league look bad because they need to play with thier friend is one thing……. David Stern has made the NBA look rotten to the core, Ive watched NBA basketball since i could grasp the concept of looking at a TV screen and allowing my brain to make sense of what im seeing, not sure when that all came together for me but this is the first time ive questioned the integrity of the league and everyone in it, NEWS FLASH STERN YOUR ALREADY A RICH MAN.

I’ll be honest. I’m just as irritated as most people about the way these trades have been blocked, but CP3 should just play his last year with the Hornets, and then move on to greener pastures. The league spent quite a bit marketing to New Orleans fans so they could drum up business, and CP3 is a large reason that Hornets fans come to watch the games. So it would be a pretty big let down if after getting all of this fan support, that CP3 is shipped off to another team. Bottom line, Stern won’t allow Paul out of New Orleans unless the trade is substantially worth it, which the case so far has been the league asking for waaaay too much in return for Paul. He just needs to suit up another season, and then move on.

I’m sure thats what Paul is gonna do anyway which is why the Hornets need to trade him off now in an attempt to get something in return. Chris is still attending training camp and preparing for the season. Its great by him that he is warning New Orleans that he is not going to be there when he becomes a free agent, which means the managment actually has time to get a trade done. i respect Chris paul is not doing a Lebron and leaving his team with nothing in return.

the Hornets are going to get lebroned so hard ! Stern is refusing to make a trade that will actually improve the Hornets just because of one star. He claims that ” nobody will come to see the Hornets without a star ” – not true. Wins attract fans not just one superstar. Instead of turning the franchise around, he will keep Paul for the coming season and he and the Hornets will be left with NOTHING when CP3 becomes a free agent. so all you Hornets fans know who to blame when Chris Paul goes somewhere else and the hornets become one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Stern really dug his own grave this year. First with heading the lockout and then the CP3 debacle by abusing his authority and position to meddle in Hornets team affairs where he has no place period. I believe he shall be ousted soon as the commissioner of the NBA.

I would say that hornets fan should boycott this season and show the league and the clown (Stern) running it that they didn’t like whats going on with hornets and paul now!!!! Come on commish, u got plenty good players from the first deal with Lakers/Rockets. U aint getting nothing close to that ever before u sell the hornets team. U CANNOT make hornets strong by weakening other teams in the league. U have to bite the bullet by selling it for loss and let the other REAL teams/owners run their business. Come on, u took over the team and now u pay for ur mistakes. Don’t expect others to take it up for u…

I’ve always been a big fan of the NBA and I’ve always thought highly of Commissioner Stern. I’m starting to think Stern has a bit more power than he should in these situations. I find it ridiculous that the league can make demands so absurd, and mask it with a title called “basketball reasons” in the best interest of the Hornets. The first deal seemed to please everyone, but the league…(AKA Commissioner Stern maybe?) I’m ready for the games to start, but I do wish the business of the game doesn’t continue to overshadow the fun of the game. Right now I will just have to continue enjoy NCAA basketball until the grown men are ready to quit playing games

The Hornets are being greedy and it’s unfair to Chris Paul. Anybody that is going to buy the Hornets knows that Chris Paul is not going to be with the team next year. David Stern is the one making the decisions for the Hornets because they are owned by the NBA. When Chris Paul becomes a free agent he is going to leave the Hornets and they are going to lose him for nothing and the Hornets are going to regret it and they will put all the blame on David Stern.

This is insane, its obvioius to me the league office is purposefully making the price to high for Paul. Eric gordon and mini’s pick? Youve got to be kidding me, one or the other with the other players included is a fair trade for paul. Either is being overvalued or the NBA would rather sell this team with paul still on it. The lockout was one thing, but as soon as things get back, and fans become excited again this is what happens? Obvious corruption…….When your superstar is for sure walking and everyone knows this, you shouldnt get full value on him, why would you? Hes leaving next summer for nothing. The first trade should never have been vetoed, i dont like these prissy players forcing thier way onto great teams without building thier own, but its i cant see how either of those proposed trades were turned down for basketball reasons. This is sad to see.

I really think the hornets are trying to make him stay with these ridiculous demands like this I can picture him in lakers uniform and wanna see how good Paul and kobe team up. The deal was done but once dat no good commissioner vetoed that trade when a deal was agree and bout to be finalize. You can’t mix basketball and business. The fans wanted this to happen but no dat commissioner. What is ” basketball reason”. That is nonsense and Bs. Whether the hornets like it or not Paul is leaving in June. So will the hornets owner want something for him or just have him walk and leave the hornets with nothing.

it seems the hornets are now stuck in the worst situations of all: losing your star player for nothing!!
i dont think any team will now be able to make a package good enough or gets paul’s approval to either waive his option for next year or sign an extension to commit himself to the franchise. after the league cancelled the laker deal it almost is inevitable that paul just leaves the hornets after the season as a free agent. thats just my opinion of course 🙂

Its hard to understand why the Clippers wouldn’t let Gordon go. He’s not that much of a impact player if you ask me, If so, then they would’ve at least made the post season last year. Obviously CP3 can get em there single-handedly. These GM’s and Owners do not know what they are doing at all in LA. SMH!

aminu/bledsoe/kaman and either gordon OR the pick. why couldnt they just pick one? both would be totally unfair to clips and just hella greedy. AND you dont even know if he will play with clips for more than 2 seasons. so take those 3 players and gordon or the pick and freakin start rebuilding!!! if he ends up leaving them then you guys did a good job. obviously hes leaving you guys after this season and to you guys it doesnt matter where the hell he goes so this was probly the best offer you guys could have gotten. good luck any other teams wanting to take a shot at the league and their “hornets.”

I hard to understand why the Clippers wouldn’t let Gordon go. He’s not that much of a impact player if you ask me, If so, then they would’ve at least made the post season last year. Obviously CP3 can get em there single-handedly. These GM’s and Owners do not know what they are doing at all in LA. SMH!

every team in the league should just force the NBA’s hand here are the facts Chris Paul is not going to stay in NO and the best deal they could have gotten for Paul Stern vetoed it, so if your a major team hold back you’ll get Paul without having to give up much of sign him in the summer

does comm stern want to prevent chris paul from going to Los Angeles? he has now nixed two potential trades that THE BASKETBALL PERSONS FROM NEW ORLEANS WANT TO COMPLETE—-This is not a one sided trade–remember the basketball administrators also want the trade—-so why is the comm holding up the trade to either team. Remember in the lakers trade, they were willing to give up perenial all star Pau Gastol and 6th man of the yr in Lamar Oden. Well if you say they need other players? they were to get high scoring Martin and rebounder scola plus a first round draft choice. If they want to block deals—why allow tyson chandler to go to big market new york to join super stars Anthony and Amare, while they cut Billipus and allow Billups to tell teams not to pick him up on waivers so he can join any team he wants while NY picks up the tab. Why didn’t he block Miami last yr and require Miami to give players and choices to to cleveland and toronto.

why is the nba asking for so much for one superstar? i could see giving up eric gordon, chris kaman, and al farouq aminu but why eric beldsoe? you could even get the hornets to contend by having bledsoe, kaman, and aminu and still be pretty solid with a top 10 draft pick as well smh on what the league thinks is reasonable at this point…

Wasn’t there a deal for CP3 to go to the knicks? I understand that Tyson Chandler just joined the Knicks but if CP3 was in the Knicks, then I’m pretty sure they have the championship within their grasp.

Poor Chris Paul, that guy is going everywhere and had so many good chances. The Clippers didn’t take him because the price is too high? Dang the Clippers shouldn’t be saying that because they need SOMEONE in their team beside Blake Griffin, who offers nothing but just slam dunks.

you’re right – griffin only slams. he doesnt rebound. and eric gordon is a very bad player with a low basketball iq. eric bledsoe is too slow to be a good pg and he didnt slam like it like a monster a few times last season. aminu doesnt have any upside neither. and caron butler..come on – who is this guy???

it’s kind of funny, looking at stern diggin his own grave. The deals won’t get better at all, may be in a week the hornets get Tony Douglas for Paul, or trade him for nothing like LA did with Odom. Only difference LA will come out big, stern….. ähh not

I really do not know what the hell is goin’ on. People keep bugging CP3 for absolutely no reason. I don’t know if he really want to leave New Orleans, cuz he is not like Mr. Lebron the Ogre. Just let him do whatever the cheese he wants.

David Stern and the “NBA” need to suck it up and take what they can get for CP3 now!! and RIGHT NOW!!…because by the end of this season it will be too late!! They are apparently a group of greedy, spiteful men who don’t want to live with the fact that their NBA owned team…is going to be the worst team in the NBA in the coming seasons. What they did to LA and Houston was totally unfair. The deal would have actually benefited NO in depth but “they” didn’t want to see LA prosper with “their” guy. Stern and his fellow Germs must live with the fact that in 2-4 years…LA, Boston, & even Dallas will be losing teams…and at the bottom of the barrell…even worse than Minnesota,Toronto or Cleveland….will be the NBA owned Hornets. Boo Hoo NBA!

iam glad paul didnt end up with the lakers, iam a lakers fan but i dont think paul is a good fit. lakers need dwight howard and a shooting piont guard like billups. paul and kobe in the same team wont work ,

After the trade to lakers was absurdly rejected by david stern, i couldnt be more happy that other talks are failing. The Hornets will not find a better offer for an injury prone chris paul. David Stern and co. will be regretting thier actions when cp3 is in a hornets uniform come april, and the hornets lose all hope of finding a buyer.

Stern must want to move this team out of New Orleans the way it is looking. I smell colusion and the NBA should be held responsible.. They dont want the hornets to be successful. Both of the trades would of helped the hornets long term. Now we are stuck with a player who doesnt want to be here and will leave this year and we will get nothing in return.. I am done with the Hornets and the NBA.

Its weird how they haven’t sold the damn team yet! I mean what are they waiting for?
I thought i read something months ago about their being plenty of buyers lined up… Were none of them good enough? Or does David Stern like the idea of the administration being able to mess with the futures of different teams?

Maybe that’s the goal? Stern wants Hornets ‘lebroned’ so there’s more ammo for next CBA bargaining session. Why else would they scuttle the first (and best) trade offer they got?

Self sabotage to prove a point seems to be the way things are done now in the NBA… throw commonsense and fairness out the window. If a big name player wants to leave a team for whatever reason after the their contract is up, why should Stern try to change that? No one tells him where he can work. Yeah yeah it would be ‘nice’ for team loyalty… but nice guys finish last in business and the NBA is no different. It’s a PLAYERS RIGHT to pick where they want to play once contract is up. We dont live in lollypop land where all teams are equal. Facts are facts, everyone would rather see LA, NY, Miami etc. than Sac, NO, and Min. And if I was a superstar NBA player I know where I’d want to live…. with other stars, not Denver (no offence Denver). League equality comes from increased revenue sharing- but that will only work to a point. The players still gotta want to go there!

I can not think of one business or trade that the elite 5% can’t decide where they work and from whom. Owners like Dan Gilbert are just whiners, and Dave Stern is a fool if he thinks he can control where the elite players are going to play. If I was Chris Paul I would give the NBA an ultimatum and tell them to put him in LA or he will play out his year in New Orleans and bolt to LA next season and leave NO with nothing.

Agreed on getting rid of Nelson and Turkoglu. Don’t think you’ll get Paul for them but something needs to be done around creating space for him to sign next year. He’ll finish the season with New Orleans and walk via free agency the way this is going.

Well said by “klwOk” too. I tried to say the same thing about the potential Clippers line-up on here the other day. Only I’d move Mo Williams and try to beef up the bench. Anyway, not going ahead now. Looks like New Orleans have over-valued Paul if they think they should get Eric Gordon as well.

David Stern seems dead set on destroying any chances of the Hornets being competitive OR staying in New Orleans. I once considered him a visionary and the greatest of all the professional sports commissioners. I now consider him a fool and a coward. Unfortunately, I’m a Hornets season ticket holder. Not after this year.

New Orleans would have got some quality players from the Lakers/Rockets Deal. But hey if the NBA wants young players. Lakers got 2 more draft pics they can offer towards Paul. At this point Im sure they would throw in plenty of cash to sweeten the deal.

We really can’t blame David Stern for handling the CP3 deal like that. He is eyeing the highest sales value for the Hornets to the next prospective owner. He doesn’t care, nor should he, about the “competitiveness” of the Hornets. I mean I don’t think David Stern is trying to win a championship.

So what can drive the value up for the Hornets? It’s either keeping CP3 for the long term (we all know that won’t happen), trading for another star player which can be the new face of the franchise (not gonna happen as well because you can’t get exact same value for a guy like CP3), or make the future of the team look bright (which is done through young players and high draft picks).

I personally don’t like that Lakers/Rockets deal because it will make the Hornets a decent team (Scola, Odom, Martin, Okafor, etc.) but it’s not attractive to a prospective buyer. However, I do love this Clippers deal although I think the NBA got greedy by demanding for Eric Gordon. I say remove Eric Gordon from the table (let’s face it, the Clippers won’t let go of the Must-See BG {quoting Mr. Dennis Scott for this} and Eric Gordon tandem) and just add another first round pick.

I don’t see the 2012 draft being important to the Clippers with a lot of Big Men prospects (Davis, Sullinger, Drummond) that the Clippers don’t need because they have Griffin and Jordan. As a matter of fact I don’t see the draft being important to the Clippers for the foreseeable future if this CP3 deal goes down. CP3, Gordon, Butler, Griffin, and Jordan is a scary lineup if you ask me. Backups Randy Foye, Mo Williams, Willie Warren, Ryan Gomes is not too shabby either.

So I think the Clippers should stop with their habit of stockpiling high picks (remember the Olowokandi, Darius Miles, etc. era where the Clippers have a lot of lottery picks in the roster?). Gone are the days that the Clippers are merely a training ground for young picks to develop their talent and then play elsewhere. The Clippers have a solid young talented team right now, they just need leadership and I believe CP3 can bring that.

On the flip side, CP3 should commit to signing a long term deal with the Clippers though. I think it’s only fair. The Clippers is a great situation for CP3.